Better talk to the Rat. Rodents are particular about their liquids. He'* got some strong opinions about this.

I'm just glad I"M not the one who said that.

Nice knowing ya, Throb

Please don't kill me, Deathrat. I know not of which I speak. I was merely wondering if anyone else has heard what I had heard. Kind of like, "does anyone know the score of the Rams game?"...who knows what kind of reaction you're bound to get.

I'd actually really like to know what comes out of this.....I don't want to see blood, just want to hear if there is anything to this dex-cool thing.......I'm gonna be flushing the rad in the spring.

I'm pretty sure Al will respond to this before then.

Do you have a link to the website, Throb?

I'm just recalling something said about not running anything BUT Dex-cool after a certain year.

Hey, Just found the thread:
http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...er=asc&start=0

And this one:
http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...hlight=dexcool

I would have it replaced asap. I went through a engine this way. But I like to wait until the things start falling off the car, so because you caught it so fast you have a chance to save your engine. Good luck.

Ty

Yeah, the website is www.marksalem.com. Can't remember where I saw it, but I'm sure if you do a search on 'coolant' 'antifreeze' 'dex-cool' or something like that, you'll find it. Dunno who this guy is.... I just know he'* big on the radio around here (and maybe Phoenix too) and somewhat respected by my mechanically inclined friends.

Well I'm not about to kill anybody YET! Here'* some light reading to consider though:

Found this on the Pontiac Newsgroup….
This post is long but should clear up all the clutter in here about
Dexi-Cool. I own a lube shop and have to be knowledgeable about the products
that I offer. Most people think of "Lube Techs" as idiots with no education.
I'll tell you, that to stay on top of the products and manufactures specs,
it is an ongoing and steep learning curve. But anyway here is the article..


Category: Coolants
Bulletin No. 01.010
Date: 01/12/01
Replaces: 96.009

Introduction:
Equilon (owned by Texaco® and Shell®) markets a European coolant technology
(OAT) that consists of ethylene glycol inhibited with a combination of
sebacic acid and 2-ethylhexanoic acid supplemented with tolyltriazole. It
was originally called "Long Life", but a lawsuit brought by Warren Oil, who
markets a fully formulated coolant under the brand name "LongLife®) forced
the retraction of that term form the DEXCOOL, Texaco and Caterpillar®
packaging. The combination of a mono and dibasic carboxylic acids permitted
Texaco to obtain a patent on the specific combination. Other companies have
obtained similar patents, by varying the mixture somewhat and by using
similar, but not exactly the same, chemistry.

General Motors® has been using this coolant technology in their cars and
light trucks since the start-of-production of the 1996 model year vehicles
(except Saturn®, which began in 1997). GMC® medium trucks equipped with
Caterpillar engines, have been getting a nitrite-added form of DEXCOOL
(NOAT) to insure protection against wet sleeve liner cavitation-erosion.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can DEXCOOL organic acid antifreeze be mixed with ethylene glycol
antifreeze?
It is ethylene glycol based antifreeze! The concern with mixing comes from
the fact that there are very different chemical inhibitor packages in use.
Most leading technologies will work very well when used as intended,
typically at 50% in good quality water. If the coolants become mixed with
DEXCOOL, however, one study showed a possible aluminum corrosion problem in
certain situations. The other question is a concern for dilution of the
protection packages. At what mix is the there too little of either inhibitor
to protect the engine? As a precaution, both GM and Caterpillar instruct
that contaminated systems must be maintained as if they contained only
conventional coolant.

How long will it last?
Uncontaminated, the engine manufacturers instruct that it may be kept in
service for 5 years or 150,000 miles in cars. In trucks, Caterpillar and GM
currently recommend that the nitrated version of the coolant be run 300,000
miles or 2 years, re-inhibited with a nitrite-tolyltriazole "extender", and
run to a total of 600,000 miles.

Are there different brands that meet the spec?
Yes. Any brand displaying the DEXCOOL trademark meet the spec, others
advertising compatibility are from the same family of coolants.

How can a customer tell if he has DEXCOOL?
If the customer owns a GM car and has orange coolant, then its DEXCOOL! In
GM trucks the coolant is "orange- red", indicating that it contains nitrite.
Orange coolant in Daimler-Chrysler® vehicles is NOT DexiCool. (Daimler
Chrysler owners with orange color factory coolant should consult their
owners' handbooks).

Does it protect aluminum?
Yes, even though it contains no silicate, the primary aluminum protector in
conventional antifreezes, published data shows that it protects aluminum.

What are the advantages of DEXCOOL compared to the previous GM 6043
factory-fill?
Compared to old-fashioned phosphate antifreeze, it may be more stable and
improve water pump life. Evaluations of the two technologies to compare
their respective service lives has found them comparable. In fact, a Ford
Motor Company study concluded that organic acid coolants do not offer any
significant advantages for the consumer over current North American
coolants. In a modern car with a well maintained cooling system, current
North American and OEM factory fill coolant corrosion protection can be
extended far beyond previous expectations."1

What are the disadvantages?
Higher cost, possible incompatibility, limited availability.

Is it environmentally safe?
It is ethylene glycol based. It is toxic. While it does reduce coolant
waste, it is not environmentally safer than conventional EG coolant.

How can you test it?
Use a refractometer to test the freeze point. The inhibitor levels can not
be cost effectively tested. If in doubt, throw it out and start over.


Brandon
Xpress Lube East Colfax
Texaco Xpress Lube

MY opinion is this:
Dex-Cool Coolant is better than conventional antifreeze based upon these reasons:
1.) Slipperier than conventional antifreeze thus protects & lubricates water pump better.
2.) Protects aluminum engines & radiators better than conventional antifreeze.
3.) Longer life span than conventional antifreeze (5 years as compared to 2 years).
NOTE: all COOLANT does not wear out in the normal sense. Coolant does loose it'* protective properties over time just like engine oil. That'* why there is recharge kits available. Remember the coolant does not have to be changed just recharged unless contaminated.
Yes I would use it in my Bonneville if it was available, but since I own a 92, I'm stuck with conventional antifreeze for now until I replace the engine!

Thnx! As soon as I find a place to make it into a sticker then it'* going on the Bonneville!